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Lake Annecy – France

Also known as the “Blue Lake”, Lake Annecy (French: Lac d’Annecy), at the heart of the Savoy Alps, takes pride in being one of the cleanest and purest lakes in the world because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s.
It is the third largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget and Lac de Grand-Lieu, if the French part of Lake Geneva (which is also partly in Switzerland) is excluded.
Lake Annecy was formed 18,000 years ago, when large alpine glaciers melted. It owes its reputation to its extraordinary location, which has been the inspiration of many artists. The impressionist painter Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), inspired by the light that bathes the site and is reflected in the turquoise water, immortalised the lake with his renowned oil painting, Le Lac bleu (the Blue Lake) in 1896.